Pokemon: Zoroark Master of Illusions: The Novelization
by manaphyseaangel101
Summary: A novelization of the popular Pokémon movie. Ash and Pikachu travel to Crown City to watch the Pokémon Baccer World Cup competition, but it's not all fun and games. The powerful Pokémon Zoroark has attacked! Ash and his friends must solve an old mystery before they can stop Zoroark and save the people of Crown City!
1. Chapter 1: Action, Start!

Pokemon: Zoroark Master of Illusions: The Novelization

By Alexandria Francetic

All rights and credit belong to Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, and Nintendo.

Chapter One: Action, Start!

A soft, gentle breeze wafted through the fresh spring air as Ash, Dawn, Brock, and their Pokemon, Pikachu and Piplup, raced past a row of cherry trees, blowing away the pink blossoms in their wake. "Oh, isn`t that great?" Dawn asked, taking a huge breath of air. "I love it when the cherry trees blossom!" Ash turned to look at her. "Come on, Dawn, the Pokemon Center`s up ahead!" he yelled. "We`ll miss the Pokemon Baccer competition!"

Dawn puffed out her cheeks and reluctantly followed the two boys in front of her. She clutched her Piplup tight to her chest. "Those guys have no appreciation," she pouted. "Pip..." Piplup added. After about five minutes of arguing about what they should do next, the trio finally rushed into the Pokemon Center.

It was small, quaint, and had the scent of wood. It felt more like a cabin than a Pokemon hospital. The three kids had their eyes glued to the TV as they sat down. They watched intently as a team of Pokemon rushed frantically around a grassy arena, smacking a small spinning top-like object back and forth, aiming for a diamond-shaped goal hovering around above them.

An Electivire pushed away a Beldum and Metang, while its teammate Electabuzz leapt up and gave the top a sharp kick, sending it flying right into a Metagross`s face. The top bounced right off, and with one quick leap, an Elekid soared across the battlefield and smacked the top, flinging it right into the diamond-like goal. The kids erupted into a storm of cheers.

"Oh, yeah!" Ash cheered, jumping up from his seat. "Man, it`ll be so great when we see this in person!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Nurse Joy strolled up. "You know, the Pokemon Baccer Championship is taking place in Crown City," she said. Dawn nodded. "That`s where we`re heading now," she replied. Nurse Joy continued, "There`s also going to be a special competitor this year, with a very powerful team. Just take a look."

The kids turned their eyes back to the TV. "And," the announcer boomed, "our very special guest this year is none other than the mogul of all Pokemon media, Grings Kodai!" A spotlight shined down on a tall, self-important-looking man dressed in a snow-white business suit decorated with a gray arrow-shaped pattern. He wore slightly spiked dark purple hair, adorned with a star-shaped flash of yellow. Speaking of yellow, his sharp, cat-like eyes gleamed a bright gold, like a Luxray`s. "Action, start!" he proclaimed. The announcer continued, "And he will be participating with the so-called 'Nimbasa Legends,' Raikou, Entei, and Suicune!"

The screen quickly flashed to a scene of the three Legendary Beasts leaping and bounding around a darkened stadium, batting a spinning top back and forth to each other. the Pokemon flew across the battlefield. "Man, that`s so awesome!" Ash cheered. "I wonder if I`ll get to battle him!"

"Well, then let`s hurry it up and get to Crown City," Brock chimed in.

Meanwhile, high up in the starry skies above Crown City, a massive, six-engined jet soared by, concealing a dark secret. Deep inside a cold, dark, steel-walled chamber, a huge werewolf-like Pokemon with a long, ponytailed mop of red hair sat curled up against the wall, its fur bristling with a mix of anger and fear. A tiny black fox-like Pokemon crawled out of the big Pokemon`s fur, curiously twitching its pointed ears.

Suddenly, the steel door in front of the door slowly began to creak open, letting in thin rays of blindingly bright light. The two Pokemon instantly snapped to attention, jumping into a fighting stance. The darkened figures of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune stood before them. In the distance, the silhouette of Grings Kodai and a short, pigtailed assistant stood behind a pane of glass, observing the two Pokemon. "So, Zoroark, is Zorua that important to you?" he snickered, glaring evilly at the tiny fox Pokemon. Zoroark snarled at him and snatched up her Zorua, stuffing the little Pokemon in her long hair. "Action, start!" Kodai announced.

The three Legendary Pokemon standing before Zoroark let out loud, booming roars, appearing ready to attack her. Zoroark screeched at them and began to shine in a bright light. Once the light faded, Zoroark was gone, instead replaced by a snarling Raikou. It roared loudly as a spinning, dark cloud crackling with lightning surrounded the creature and filled the entire chamber. Kodai`s pigtailed assistant backed up, quivering with fear. "Relax, Rowena," Kodai sneered, pulling up his sleeve and revealing a metal cuff-like object clamped to his wrist.

A tiny red dot of light shined through the middle, and the raging storm vanished within seconds. Rowena took a deep sigh of relief, looking down at her down bracelet. "Oh, I forgot I had my Illusion Canceler on," she chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Mr. Kodai." He didn`t respond, looking up at a screen above. It displayed the same storm as before, roaring through the chamber. It fooled the cameras, he thought. This is perfect.

Raikou`s body started to glow with bright light, revealing a Zoroark once again. Right before Zoroark`s eyes, the Legendary Trio disintegrated into a cloud of pink, sparkling dust before finally vanishing. "Excellent, Zoroark," Kodai announced. "Your powers have indeed grown." Just then, Zorua leapt out of Zoroark`s hair, glaring right into Kodai`s shiny yellow eyes. A Ninjask swooped down from the ceiling and snatched up the tiny Pokemon. Zorua screamed and flailed in the Bug-Type Pokemon`s grasp. Zoroark reached out for her child, only to be zapped by a crackling web of electricity.  
The Pokemon screeched in agony, watching as Ninjask carried away Zorua into a gaping hole above. Zoroark collapsed to her knees, tears soaking her thick fur. "Don`t worry," Kodai reassured her. "Zorua will be fine with me, for now. Disobey my orders, however, and well, he will be put to sleep!" Zoroark`s eyes widened, and she let out a scream of sheer terror.

The buzzing of wings rang in Zorua`s ears as Ninjask dragged him through the pitch-black tunnels of some kind of ventilation system, squirming in the Pokemon`s grasp. He finally wrestled free of Ninjask`s grip and slammed himself into the side of the wall, desprate to break free. I have to get out of here, he thought. Kodai...if he catches me, will he...put me to sleep?  
Zorua gulped down hard at the thought as he broke the side of the vent, falling through the wall into a narrow, cramped hallway. The walls flickered with dim lights. A Scizor leapt out in front of him and slammed down its crab-like claws inches away from Zorua`s feet. Zorua jolted back, its body shining with pink light as he transformed into a complete mirror-image of the Scizor in front of him. Zorua giggled mischeviously, and Scizor stared in confusion, shaking its head at the spectacle. The Zorua-Scizor jumped over the real Scizor`s head, smacking it from behind as he transformed back into a tiny black fox.

He dashed through the narrow corridors, his tiny legs flying as he navigated through the maze of pitch-black tunnels. At the same time, a black-suited man watched Zorua scampering through the camera`s eyes. He gaped at the sight, a ripple of shivers running down his back. Rowena and Kodai stepped in. "Umm, Kodai, Zorua has escaped," he said shakily, tugging at his shirt collar. Kodai`s eyes narrowed. "Goone, do you have Zorua`s visual data?" he asked. Goone nodded. "Then that will be good enough," Kodai replied. "That little creature is of no use to me. I was only trying to scare Zoroark into submission."

"Sir, we`ve headed into Crown City airspace," Rowena announced. "Finally," Kodai sighed, gazing into the distance through the windshield, misted with a light fog. A tiny, warmly lit city spread below. The Time Ripple... he thought. It appears before the day of the Pokemon Baccer Championship...I must find it, before it disappears forever.

Zorua silently slipped through the vents, stopping at a single metal panel. A cold breeze leaked through the cracks. The buzzing of a Ninjask echoed ahead. Thinking fast, Zorua slammed himself into the leaky panel. It broke open, and the little Pokemon leapt through, only to be met by a blast of cold air. Fear took over his mind as he realized he was right on top of the gargantuan airship. His tiny feet slid across the freezing, slippery metal.

His heart pounded, and he clutched hard onto a metal bar, gripping it with his teeth. He felt like he was being torn apart, his fur flailing in the howling wind.  
The steel bar snapped off, and Zorua was sent flying across the night sky, right into a swarm of Skiploom. He bounced off one of their heads and transformed into a Skiploom in a flash, slowly drifting down to the forest below. 


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival in Crown City

Chapter Two: Arrival in Crown City

Zorua gracefully wafted through the sky as a Skiploom, floating down into the trees. He let himself drop, wind blowing through the flower on his head as he bounced from branch to branch. He leapt down from the trees, and he felt something soft and furry break his fall. He jumped off the furry thing`s head and transformed back to a Zorua, giving his victim a sharp giggle.

He wasn`t laughing for long. A tall, snarling shadow cast over, and a Vigoroth glared at him, baring its teeth. Zorua gasped as a legion of Vigoroth descended from the trees, surrounding him on all sides. Thinking fast, he leapt over the angry Pokemon`s heads and dashed off through the trees. Branches and stray sticks scraped him at every angle. His tiny mouth dropped open at the sight of a sheer cliff that stood ahead. He skidded to a stop, teetering over the very tip.

The army of enraged Vigoroth surrounded him, ready to pounce. Zorua backed up a bit, his fur bristling. "Hey!" a familiar voice shouted. "Cut that out, you!" Just then, Ash, Dawn, and Brock rushed up, accompanied by Ash`s Infernape and Dawn`s Mamoswine.

The gang of Pokemon turned to look at them. "What an unfair fight!" Ash shouted. "Ten versus one?" Dawn asked. "You cowards!"

Mamoswine and Infernape snarled threateningly at the Vigoroth. Shaking their heads, the Pokemon bounded off into the forest, vanishing into the trees. As the trio ran to Zorua`s aid, the little Pokemon raised its head and puffed out its chest in defiance. "I could`ve taken them myself, you know," he snickered.

Ash`s eyes narrowed. "Hey, you were just about to fall off the cliff!" he shouted. "You should be grateful," Dawn added. Just then, all three of them fell silent. "Umm, did that Pokemon just talk?" Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu mumbled.

"Yeah, so I can," Zorua replied, giving a mischievious smile. Brock gasped. "That`s telepathy!"

"I`m Zorua," the little Pokemon said. "My Meema told me to never talk to strangers. Too late! You see, I`m trying to get to the city down there."

He nodded to the city off the cliff, glowing in the distance. "That`s Crown City," Brock commented. Suddenly, the tiny fox Pokemon began to shine with light, and completely transformed into Ash. He held his hands up to his chest like paws. The others gasped in shock. Pikachu looked flabbergasted. "H-how are you doing that?!" Ash snapped.

"Apparently it can change its appearance," Brock chimed in. Pikachu leapt off Ash`s shoulder and dashed after the Zorua-Ash, eyeing a puffy black tail sticking out from his pants. "Pika!" the little mouse Pokemon squeaked as it clutched onto the tail. In a flash of light, Zorua`s normal body returned. Then in the blink of an eye, he transformed into Pikachu. "Pika?!" Pikachu screeched, looking petrified. "I like this better," Zorua said.

He nodded foward and took off for the woods. "Come on!" he called. As the team followed him through a narrow, overgrown path, Zorua told his story. "Crown City`s where my Meema is," he explained. "The two of us used to live far away, until some bad people captured us and carried us across the sea in a flying boat."

"You mean a plane?" Brock asked. Zorua nodded. "But I ended up falling off the boat," he replied. "So you escaped," Dawn chimed in. "If that`s so, would you let us help you out?"

"You can count me in too," Ash added. Zorua turned and smiled. "Thanks a lot, you guys," he said. "I guess I can trust you."

The grating whirring of a hydraulic door echoed into the night as thin, dim rays of crimson light shined on Zoroark, forcing her to flash open her wide blue eyes. Grings Kodai and Rowena stood before the wolf-like Pokemon. "The remote cameras have been launched," Rowena said.

Kodai nodded and jabbed his finger out into the night city ahead. "Go and show your illusions to the people of Crown City," he commanded. Zoroark glanced up at a small plasma screen, showing the image of a sniffling Zorua behind electrified bars. The Pokemon gaped at the sight.

"I`m sure you wouldn`t want me to hurt Zorua," Kodai sneered. "Take the forms of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune! Strike fear into the hearts of the citizens!" Zoroark let out a booming roar and literally flung herself out of the plane, leaping across the trees as if she could fly. In mere seconds, she vanished into the darkness ahead. Kodai smiled evilly. "It`s showtime," he snickered.

The next morning, the warm light of the sun shined in wide rays, casting down and illuminating the city below. It was more of a mix between a forest and a city, with Pokemon of all kinds leaping through the trees and swimming across the sparkling streams. In all of this, a tiny, green, fairy-like Pokemon burst out from the brush, soaring through the narrow city streets.

Everywhere the little Pokemon flew past, plants and flowers bloomed into life. A gust of wind howled by as it rushed right past an older, navy-blue-haired woman and her Tangrowth. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, and her heart slammed hard in her chest.

She and Tangrowth sped through the cobblestone streets, the breeze roaring in her ears. She skidded to a stop right in front of an old, brown-haired man wearing a stained green apron. He said, "Hey, Tammy, you know tomorrow is-"

She stopped him right in mid-speech. "No!" she snapped. "There`s no time for that! Celebi`s finally come back to the city!" The old man gasped. He began to tear up. "Celebi?" he gaped. "Is it true?" Tammy nodded. "Yes. It`s been a long time since Celebi came back to this city. More than twenty years."

Meanwhile, high above placid Crown City, Zoroark stood on the very tip of a church tower, gazing at the village beneath her. Kodai`s threatening words from last night still rung clear in her head. Her fur bristled with fear at the thought of what he would do to her poor Zorua.

She crashed down onto the stony streets below, kicking up an eruption of fleeing Starly. Narrowing her eyes, she raised her glowing arms and slammed them into the earth, unleashing a pulse of dark energy throughout the city, enough to plow down trees and tiny houses. Her body shined with pink light as she transformed into a Suicune.

She gave a strong push of her back legs, sending her flying through the tight city streets. A wave of roaring water rushed behind her. The tsunami crashed through the town and swept across the streets. The city quickly erupted into chaos as the denizens of Crown City ran for their lives.

At the same time, far away in Kodai`s massive airship, his pigtailed secretary frantically tapped the keys of the computer system in front of her, a ripple of chills pulsing down her back. She and Kodai watched intently as Suicune bounded across the streets of Crown City, dragging her tsunami along with her. She raced past a towering statue of Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. Kodai put his hand up. "Back up and give me a composite shot," he sneered.

Rowena nodded and obeyed, shakily tapping the computer keys. Her collar suddenly became damp. After the editing, as Suicune rushed by the statue, it shattered into a burst of shards from the blast of an Ice Beam.

The two kept watching as the Zoroark-Suicune transformed in a flash, revealing itself as an Entei. She let out a booming roar and raced across the city, kindling a blinding wall of flames behind her. The citizens were struck with a paralyzing terror.

Kodai smiled wickedly at the spectacle, as if he was enjoying their fear. He adjusted his tie and snickered, "Alright, time for my apology." He stood up as straight as he could as a spotlight shined down on him. His suit seemed to glow in the light.

"We`re on," Rowena confirmed. She stood in front of a camera and announced, "Attention, all citizens of Crown City, the following is an urgent message from the Kodai Network Group. And here`s our company president, Grings Kodai."

The camera quickly flashed over to him. "I`d like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to you all," he said in a somber tone. "The three Legendary Pokemon I brought here for you, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, are being controlled by the evil Pokemon Zoroark. Those three are the ones terrorizing your city. You must evacuate immediately. We will recapture them, that you can be sure of, but until then, no one will be allowed to enter the city. Again, my most sincere apologies."

At the same time, Ash, Dawn, and Brock watched the broadcast intently, shivers running down their backs. The sky gathered with black, crackling clouds. Ash, most notably, carried another Pikachu on his shoulder. "Whoa, I wonder what`s going on," Ash said. "I can`t believe Legendary Pokemon are doing that," Dawn added.

Officer Jenny`s voice announced over a megaphone, "This message is for all people en route to the Pokemon Baccer Championship. The old town in Crown City is officially off-limits, and access will not be permitted. As you can see, we`re working hard to solve the problem, so don`t worry."

Ash took a deep breath of relief and looked around the harbor. Villagers and townsfolk shoved their way through the marina, desprately trying to jam themselves onto the packed ships. "Well, at least we don`t have to evacuate," Brock said, glancing back up at the TV screen.

"Zoroark is a Pokemon raging with evil," Kodai continued. "You are all in great danger here. Therefore, no one will be allowed to enter the city until recapture is complete." An image of a snarling Zoroark flashed on-screen.

"Hey!" Zorua-Pikachu gasped. "It`s Meema!" With a quick snap of his legs, he leapt off of Ash`s shoulder and transformed into Brock in a flash. "Hey, get back here!" Dawn called as she and her friends took off after the scampering Zorua-Brock.

They rushed through the streets, and Ash latched onto the transformed Pokemon mere seconds before he grabbed onto a railing, ready to jump into the river below. "Zorua, calm down!" he shouted.

Zorua wrenched free of Ash`s grip and raised his fist. "Meema`s not evil, Kodai`s the bad guy!" Dawn gasped. "So you mean the bad person you were talking about is THE Kodai?!" Zorua nodded. "That`s him!"

"Oh, really?" a voice asked, echoing in the distance. A young man with bushy black hair covered up by a baseball cap strolled up. "I`d like to hear more about it."

Brock grabbed Zorua`s shoulders and chuckled shakily, "Ummm, you see, I really love my twin brother, but sometimes he`ll just say the strangest things!" The young man turned to Brock`s side. "Twin brother, huh?" he asked. "And one with a tail, no less!"

He gripped the bushy tail sticking out from the fake Brock`s pants, and in a flash of light, transformed back to a little fox Pokemon. Zorua giggled sharply at him. "Suprise!"

The man gasped. "A Zorua! And able to talk? How strange!" Ash put his hand up. "Wait a sec, who are you anyway?" he asked. "The name`s Karl," the young man replied. "I`m a journalist, investigating Kodai. Why don`t you guys follow me?"

The team exchanged odd glances and shook their heads, but went along anyway. "I had a hunch Kodai`s been keeping some kind of secret, and I`ve been investigating it for years." He led them into an old windmill and stepped over to a wooden panel in the floor trimmed with twisted metal and a rusted handle. Straining his arms, Karl pulled up hard as the panel creaked open, revealing a set of stairs leading into darkness.

Ash, Dawn, and Brock looked on. "This leads to the old part of the city," Karl said. "The truth is, Crown City is my hometown." The trio followed the young journalist into a pitch-black area with the scent of old, wet clothes. They could hear the distant sound of running water. "Bronzor, use Flash!" Karl ordered as he set a Bronzor free from its Poke Ball.

The Pokemon`s body shined with a bright light, illuminating a dank corridor ahead. Besides the water, the only sounds as the team walked through was the echo of their footsteps. "Grings Kodai has been called 'the man who can see the future,'" Karl explained. "And it sure seems that way, as he`s had an incredible number of business successes over the past two decades, like he knows what`s going to happen. Some see him as an eccentric futurist, while others see him as a supernatural monster. But whatever you think of him, there`s no denying his influence throughout the world. Kodai now controls the entire mainstream media, and they say if there`s something he desprately wants, there`s nothing he won`t do to get it."

Zorua squirmed out of Ash`s grasp and leapt out ahead. "But he`s a bad man," he interrupted. "Come on, we have to find Meema!"

"Wait up!" Ash called, trailing after the little Pokemon. A pinprick of light lay in the distance, growing bigger every second. As the team ran through, they were momentarily blinded by the intense light of the outside.

They stood in the middle of a verdant meadow, walled on all sides by trees, flowers, and old, ivy-covered buildings. "Wow, it`s Crown City," Dawn gaped, mesmorized. "Amazing," Brock chimed in. "It`s like the city and forest live together in perfect harmony." Karl sighed. "Yeah, but it wasn`t always this way."

"Why is that?" Ash asked. "Well, twenty years ago, all of the city`s trees and greenery suddenly withered and died," Karl replied. "No one knows exactly why, but with the work of both people and Pokemon, Crown City was brought back to its beautiful life. That was also when Celebi stopped coming to visit."

"Celebi lives here?" Dawn asked. Karl nodded. "It used to visit a lot," he replied. "But not anymore." Dawn nodded. "Wow, you could never tell things were once so bad."

"Hey!" Zorua called, sniffing the ground. "I can smell Meema!"

"Really?" Ash asked. He got on his knees and sniffed the streets himself. Suddenly, Zorua leapt up and transformed into Dawn. Piplup looked petrified, screeching at the sight. It was quite odd, and a little funny at the same time to see Dawn and Ash sniffing around on the ground.

Dawn gritted her teeth and stomped foward. "Hey, don`t you dare turn into me!" she snapped, clutching onto the fake Dawn`s bushy tail. He quickly turned back and giggled mischieviously at her. "Thank you," she growled. "Hey, take a look at that," Ash interrupted, pointing to a statue half-shrouded in plants.

"It`s Raikou, Entei, and Suicune," Karl explained. "They`re said to be the city`s guardian protectors, because when Crown City was in danger in ancient times, these three allegedly came to our rescue." He narrowed his eyes at the statue and ripped out his video camera. "Strange. It`s not destroyed."

"But I saw Suicune on the news," Brock said. "Kodai did this," Karl hissed. "He manipulated the TV news images!"

"Fake video?" Brock asked. "But why?"

"So that means the Legendary Pokemon aren`t really here?" Dawn added. "Then Zoroark must be innocent too!" A gust of wind whipped by as Zorua raced past. "Meema!" he called. "I`m over here! Where are you?!"

"Relax, Zorua," Ash reassured the little Pokemon. "Meema`s looking for you too, I`m sure of it. It won`t be long now." Zorua nodded slowly. "Yeah, I can feel it!"

Back inside the depths of the airship, Kodai and Rowena watched intently as video footage of Celebi whipping through the air played on the screen above. "It`s Celebi," Kodai piped up. "So the Time Ripple must be in Crown City."

A sharp, stabbing pain jabbed into his head, and he hunched over on the desk, pain coursing through his body. Rowena gasped. "Mr. Kodai!" Her heart thumped hard as she watched Kodai`s yellow irises turn a shining emerald.

As he howled in agony, his vision transformed into a slideshow of bright, blurry images flashing past. Images of a countdown clock, Celebi, and the team of heroes rushed by. He gasped as a faded silhouette of Rowena appeared to the right of the heroes. Finally, in the last image, he witnessed himself cloaked in purple light, sucking the energy out of some kind of glowing vortex.

He took a huge breath as he flashed out of his vision, feeling like he was about to faint. "It`s a vision of the future?" Rowena asked. "What are you seeing?" Kodai could barely speak, swallowing gulps of air. "That`s right, Rowena. It was...faces of people trying to...stop me." He gave Rowena a sharp gaze, and shivers tingled across her skin.

Meanwhile, Zoroark raced through the narrow city streets, a flash of determination in her eyes as she caught the scent of her little Zorua. She turned one corner, and skidded to a stop. Zorua stood before her, about twenty feet away. A wave of happiness washed over her. She rushed to her child, her heart pounding with joy.

She wasn`t happy for long. A small saucer-shaped object soared over her head and let out a burst of crackling electricity, zapping her from above. She let out a pained screech. The Pokemon was suspended in midair as steel cage bars locked around her like a prison.

She fell to the floor and screamed, watching in discord as the Zorua outside disintegrated into a pile of dust. Zoroark slammed her body into the bars, only to cry out in anguish. She collapsed to her knees, electricity coursing over her body. She felt like she was being burned alive.

The last thing she saw was Goone`s jeep pull up. The roar of the engine was almost deafening. A pair of claws clutched onto the bars, and a wall of metal closed around the cage, encasing Zoroark in darkness. Salty tears soaked her thick fur.

"Rowena, keep broadcasting the footage," Kodai ordered. The shaky, pigtailed secretary watched him through the screen above. "I`m off for the countdown clocks."

"Right," Rowena confirmed. The screen flashed black, and Rowena took a huge sigh of relief. She slumped in her seat, her nerves easing. "Oh, I thought he`d never leave!" she told herself. "Now I can get some real work done!"

Kodai flew off on his hoverboard, his faithful Shuppet and Mismagius following close behind. Crown City seemed so small from that high up. He kept thinking about his vision, running the images in his head over and over again.

The Time Ripple, he thought. It appears before the day of the Pokemon Baccer Championship...Rowena betrayed me, and I`m there too. I must find it, before it disappears. He slowed down to a crawl right in front of a tall, clock-like monument, with numbers steadily ticking down on a monochrome screen. He hovered over it and jabbed his finger at Shuppet.

"Shuppet, use Foresight," he commanded. Shuppet nodded. Its eyes began to shine blue, and a wave of light washed over the area. The place fell silent, and nothing seemed to happen. "Hmmm, not here," Kodai growled. He glanced down at a screen fixed into the hoverboard, illuminated with a map of Crown City. It was dotted with tiny blue spots, some of which had tiny X`s crossed on them.  
"20 more spots," he hissed. A droning alarm sound rang off as an image of Ash running with his Pikachu flashed on-screen. Kodai`s yellow eyes grew huge. "So they showed up after all," he snapped.

He frantically tapped the keys on the touch screen until an image of Goone appeared. "Goone, we have a little problem here," he said. "There`s something I need you to take care of in downtown." The man nodded. "Got it, sir," Goone confirmed. 


	3. Chapter 3: Crown Guardians Return

Chapter Three: Crown Guardians Return

"Zorua, wait up!" Ash called. He, Dawn, Brock, and Karl flew through the streets, chasing after the scampering Zorua. "Meema`s scent is this way!" Zorua called. "Can you at least slow down a little?!" Dawn shouted. Zorua wasn`t listening, the wind roaring in his ears as gravel popped and crunched under his tiny feet.

Just then, a Tangrowth leapt out at him. Zorua gasped and skidded to a stop, his feet digging into the dirt. The huge, bushy Pokemon peered at him with tiny eyes. Seconds later, a Mightyena charged from out of nowhere, pushing the little Pokemon into a corner. "What do you want?!" Zorua shouted. "I`m strong, you know!"

Tangrowth stuck out its long, floppy arms and released a spew of fine powder into Zorua`s face. His nose tickled as he took a huge breath of the dust, and he began to feel faint, collapsing on the ground. Tangrowth then picked up the sleeping Zorua, cradling him in its arms.

"Hey!" Ash called. He and his friends came to a stop, glaring at the two strange Pokemon. "What`s going on here?" Mightyena let out a loud snarl and bounded across the streets, crashing down on Karl and shoving him to the ground. The trio gasped and rushed to his aid, but he wasn`t being mauled or anything. Karl chuckled as Mightyena licked his face. "Hey, been a long time, hasn`t it?" he asked, crawling back up to his feet.

"Karl, it`s you!" a woman`s voice called out as an elderly couple peeked out from behind the street corner. "Tammy, Joe!" Karl gasped. "I haven`t seen you two since forever!"

"It`s nice to see you again, too," Tammy said. "I`m afraid Tangrowth`s Sleep Powder worked a little too well. I`m sorry. Why don`t we take you to our place?"

"Sounds good," Dawn piped up. "Lead the way." Afterwards, the team sat inside a quaint, warm workshop, wafting with the scent of burned wood. "So, what brings you all here to Crown City?" Joe asked as he poured tiny cups of steaming tea for everyone.

"We were supposed to see the Pokemon Baccer Championship," Dawn replied somberly. "Yeah, until all this happened," Ash chimed in. "We got here after they already evacuated the city, and Karl took us into town to investigate stuff."

Brock piped up, "But why didn`t you two evacuate?" Tammy smiled. "You see, we could never bear the thought of leaving our beautiful home," she replied. "Especially since Celebi`s finally come back to the city!"

"Really?" Karl asked. "Is it true?" Tammy nodded. "Of course it is, I saw it with my own eyes." She glanced over at the black fox Pokemon and smiled. He was squirming and thrashing in his sleep. Zorua`s ears pricked up. He leapt onto the table, knocking over glasses in a blind panic.

"Meema`s calling me," he said, sniffing around the table. He jumped to the ground and rushed out the door, racing through the streets. "Come back!" Ash yelled. He and his friends took off after the little Pokemon. Pikachu and Piplup leapt off their Trainers` shoulders and charged into the verdant brush behind a wrought-iron fence. They crawled out through the prickly underbrush, scraping their backs as the two Pokemon pulled themselves into a tiny meadow.

Zorua stood right in the middle, surrounded by an army of wild, angry Pokemon. "What`s your problem!?" Zorua snapped. "I didn`t do anything!" The wild Pokemon snarled in reply, creeping threateningly closer to him. His fur bristled with energy. Pikachu and Piplup rushed to intervene. "Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu hissed. "Pip-Piplup!" Piplup added.

The wild Pokemon didn`t seem to listen, and Pikachu leapt up to smack away a barrage of Bullet Seeds with his tail. Piplup shot a BubbleBeam in the air as a warning. Before the situation could escalate, everyone froze. Everything fell silent. A cooing sound echoed in the distance, and a green streak flashed by. The Pokemon stared in awe as a shower of sparkling green dust descended from above. The flowers on the trees began to glow, looking much like Christmas lights. They quickly faded to reveal berries that dropped from the branches.

Celebi slowly peeked its head out through the brush, floating out to greet the Pokemon. "Biii!" it cheered as it picked up a tiny pink berry and handed it to Zorua. "That`s for me?" he asked. He snapped it up in his jaws. His mouth was filled with a tingling sweet taste. "Thanks!"  
"Bii! Bii!" Celebi chirped, hovering above the Pokemon`s heads as they happily munched away on the berries. "Check this out," Zorua said, his body shining with pink light. Instantly, he transformed into Celebi and let out a mischevious giggle.

"Surprise!" he chuckled. "Biii?!" Celebi screeched, backing away from its fake counterpart. Its shock quickly turned into happiness as it clutched Zorua-Celebi`s hand, trying to pull him into the air. "Oh, no, I can`t fly," Zorua said, quickly transforming back to his normal form. "I guess I can let you be my friend. Can you help me find my Meema?"

Celebi nodded, squealing and performing a backflip in midair. Then, Ash and his friends peeked out from behind the wrought-iron fence. "We`ve been looking for you- whoa, it`s Celebi!"

Karl gasped. Wow, Celebi really has come back, he thought. "Uhh, what is that?" Dawn asked shakily, pointing up to the sky. The others followed her gaze, watching a tiny saucer-shaped object hovering over their heads.

Before they could even react, the team screamed out in pain as a bolt of electricity crashed down on them, dragging their limp bodies into the air. Cage bars closed around them. They fell to the cage floor, tingling with pain.

"Ohhh...what happened?" Ash groaned. Pikachu, Piplup, and Zorua rushed to their aid. "No!" Dawn shouted. "You guys, get out now! You need to find Zoroark!" The roar of an engine filled their ears as Goone`s jeep pulled up and clutched onto the cage with its claws.

"So, it`s you," Kodai`s voice snarled. He pulled up to them on his hoverboard, glaring at the team with angry eyes. "It`s Kodai!" Karl hissed. "So, you were here the whole time!"

Kodai`s eyes narrowed. "Look, I don`t know who you are, and I couldn`t care less, but I will not let you get in my way!" he snapped. "What do you mean?!" Ash shouted. "Why`d you lock us up!?"

Kodai smirked evilly. "I can see into the future," he replied flatly. "When I see obstacles in my way, I simply move them or crush them! Goone, take them away!"

A wall of metal closed around the cage, encasing the team in pitch-darkness. Ash growled and charged at the wall, but Karl grabbed his collar just before a small spark of electricity connected with Ash`s face. "It`s no use," he said. "But, Karl!" Ash snapped. "What about Celebi and the others?!"

Meanwhile, in Kodai`s airship, Rowena impatiently tapped the foward key, scrolling through Kodai`s computer files. It seemed as if she was pressing the button unconsciously at this point. Nothing seemed to be of any worth. At least, until a password message popped up on-screen. Rowena`s eyes perked up with curiosity. "So, his most important files are locked," she said. "I wonder what kind of password he would come up with? Hmmm...oh, I`ve got it!"

She hurriedly tapped in: "V-I-S-I-O-N." She pressed down on the Enter key, and a massive array of files appeared. They appeared to be ancient prophecies, arcane images of Celebi and other celestial things, and some kind of physics or mathematics diagrams and formulas. Her heart slammed hard in her chest as Goone flashed on-screen. She quickly sat up in her seat and straightened her crooked glasses. "Rowena, I`m heading off to Kodai`s location, I`ll be a bit longer," he said. "Ummm, understood," Rowena replied shakily, tugging at her damp collar.

She closed down the video feed, which shifted to an image of a large steel box in the hull of the ship. "What`s that?" she wondered out loud. Her imagination got the best of her, and she took the elevator down to the storage area. The steel doors enclosing the cage opened up, revealing Ash and the others trapped inside. "Oh my," Rowena gasped. "And who are you?" Dawn snarled. "You needn`t worry," the pigtailed woman replied in a sweet tone. "I`m Mr. Kodai`s excecutive secretary, Rowena."

Karl let out a sharp chuckle. "Yeah, and I`m his mom," he joked. Rowena smiled and tossed away her glasses. She pulled out the bands in her pigtails, and her long black hair dropped to the floor. "Actually, I`m a journalist like Karl," she said. "I`m working undercover, investigating Kodai as well. Follow me."

She pressed a button on a small remote, and the metal cage bars crashed to the floor with a clatter. She led them outside and onto a bright, fluorescent orange boat. It seemed to match the crimson color of the setting sky. The tall shadows of mountains and trees casting on the water looked like spindly hands reaching out to grab them as the team took off down the river.

"You see, when I looked through Kodai`s files, I discovered a lot of things," Rowena explained. "Apparently, when Celebi comes here from the past or future, it leaves a portal, a tear in the fabric of Space-Time, called the Time Ripple. It has been pursued for many years, since it supposedly gives people the power to see into the future when they touch it. According to Kodai`s journal entries, he gained his power to see into the future by touching the Time Ripple twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the distortion created a bend in Space-Time, releasing a wave of 'negative time' that destroyed all of Crown City`s life."

"So that`s what happened," Karl hissed. "But that`s not all," Rowena continued. "Now Kodai`s ability to see the future is fading, and the Time Ripple supposedly lies near one of the Pokemon Baccer countdown clocks in town. That`s why he emptied the city, so he could look for it on his own. The Time Ripple only appears for a single day, so he`s obviously frantic to find it. If he does, he`ll replenish his future sight ability by absorbing the Time Ripple`s energy into his body."

The team gasped loudly. "Then we have to hurry up and get there before he does," Brock said. "Or what happened twenty years ago will happen again," Dawn finished. "We won`t let it happen!" Ash shouted, his hands curling into fists. "Come on, let`s get back to the workshop!"

"Shuppet, use Foresight!" Kodai commanded. A wave of thin, blue light washed over a sparse, wooded area, flying over one of the countdown clocks. The place fell silent. "Not here," he growled. "Is this the last of the countdown clocks, Mr. Kodai?" Goone asked, lounging in the backseat of his jeep. Kodai nodded and glanced down at the screen embedded in his hoverboard.  
The map was dotted with tiny X`s. "We`ve checked them all," he said. "But how? My visions never failed me before..." Suddenly, the same stabbing pain in his head returned, and his eyes shined a sparkly green. He was trembling, nearly about to faint from the pain. Blurry, shaky images flashed before his eyes. He could see himself clutching onto Celebi, squeezing the poor creature to death, and in his own vision, his eyes started to glow green once again. That was the last thing he saw before being flung out of his vision, gasping for air. "It`s Celebi," he hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowing. "Goone! We`re off to find Celebi!"

In the meantime, Zorua followed Celebi, Pikachu, and Piplup through the forest as they came to a clearing, leaping across the wide branches of a gigantic tree. Zorua looked up at the starry sky above, his eyes tearing up. He wished Meema was here with him. It was so scary, being alone in a strange land. The shadows of twisted tree branches casting on the ground didn`t help his mood, looking like long, thin fingers out to snatch him up. Meema, he thought, where are you?

As the tiny team of Pokemon descended down the enormous monolith of a tree, a sudden blinding light sent them crashing to a lower branch. Zorua was numb with pain, but he leapt up anyway and spun around to face his adversary. Celebi worriedly hid behind him. Chills ran down Zorua`s back as he stared right into Kodai`s glaring yellow eyes. He was on his hoverboard, floating only a few feet away from where the Pokemon were standing.

"Zorua!" Kodai announced. "So this is where you`ve been hiding!" Zorua turned to Celebi. "Be careful, he`s a very bad man," he warned. "Oh, so now you can talk?" Kodai asked. "Yeah, but I never wanted to talk to you!" Zorua hissed. "Then stay out of my way," Kodai replied. "My business is with Celebi. Shuppet, use Psychic!"

Shuppet flew foward with glowing eyes, and Celebi began to levitate in its light, slowly being dragged towards Kodai. "Leave Celebi alone!" Zorua snapped. His body began to glow pink, and he transformed into a Tangrowth. He released a storm of vines densely lined with thorns, wrapping Shuppet and Mismagius in their grip.

Kodai smiled and pulled up his sleeve, revealing the Illusion Canceler clamped to his wrist. "Your powers of deception have grown," he sneered, "but they have no effect on me." As the red light in the center of the bracelet shined, the illusionary vines binding his two Pokemon crumbled to dust.

"Shuppet, Shadow Ball!" The Pokemon nodded and spit a ball of dark energy at the Zorua-Tangrowth. He turned back to his normal form as he was struck, slamming into the huge trunk of the tree. Pikachu and Piplup unleashed a Thunderbolt and BubbleBeam, but were soon blown away as the Ninjask army flew up and bombarded them with a storm of Shadow Balls. Shuppet then used Psychic once again, dragging poor Celebi right into Kodai`s crushing grip.

"Come on, show me the future!" he snarled, shaking the tiny creature in his grasp. Celebi screeched and flailed, consumed by utter terror as it screamed out into the night. With one more squashing squeeze, Kodai`s eyes began to glow a bright emerald once again. He smiled through his pain, overtaken with a wicked happiness as a slideshow of images flickered by in his mind. He saw himself cloaked in a wave of purple energy, absorbing the shining light of a portal above him as it slowly faded. In a flash, reality returned to him.

He kept strangling Celebi in his fists, shaking the poor Pokemon`s limp body. "Show me more!" he commanded. "Come on!" Zorua staggered to his feet, glaring angrily at the gruesome spectacle. He had no clue what he could do, so weak and tired. It would be like fighting a giant. "Hey, Kodai!" he snapped. "Why don`t you pick on someone your own size?!"

Without thought, he leapt foward and flung himself onto Kodai`s face, digging into his hair just to hang on. Kodai quickly dropped Celebi and stumbled back, slamming into one of the hoverboard`s levers. He descended to the ground, wrestling the little creature attached to his head. He ripped the Pokemon off his face and tossed him into the grass with little effort.

At the same time, Pikachu clutched hard onto a higher tree branch, his arms straining with pain. Piplup desprately hung onto Pikachu`s lightning bolt-shaped tail. Pikachu dug into the branch with his teeth, but his grip soon slipped. He and Piplup were sent plummeting down at least fifty feet to the river below.

That was, until a fluffy, cushy thing broke their fall. They picked their heads up to discover they were riding on Dawn`s Togekiss`s back. Down below, Kodai slowly staggered towards Celebi. "Not yet, I want to see more!" he sneered as he reached down to grab the tiny Pokemon. Pikachu leapt from Togekiss`s back and unleashed a burst of electricity, plowing a literal line in the sand between Celebi and Kodai.

Just in time, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Karl, and Rowena rushed to the scene. "Kodai!" Ash snarled. "What`s going on here!?" He rushed over to Celebi and cradled the fairy-like Pokemon in his arms. Rowena stood tall with the others, but at the sight of Kodai, she slunk back and hid behind Karl`s back a bit. "Ohh, umm, sorry I lied to you, Kodai!" she giggled nervously. "The last paycheck, just forget about it."

Kodai smiled wickedly at her. "I`d be more than happy to keep it," he snickered. "I knew you`d betray me! There`s no hiding your secrets from me, Rowena! Goone! Get them now!" Goone nodded to his Scizor, and the two giant Bug Pokemon leapt foward, crashing down their claws inches away from where the team was standing. Pikachu jumped up and smacked them away with its glowing tail, and Piplup finished them off with a blast of water.

"Come on, let`s get out of here!" Rowena shouted. The team leapt back into the gaudy liferaft and took off down the river. Kodai watched them angrily, his hands curling into fists. "Those little punks," he snarled.

"What now, Mr. Kodai?" Goone asked. Kodai took a deep breath and pulled a tiny pen out of his front pocket. "I knew Rowena would lie to me, I saw it in my vision. And I know exactly what will happen." The pen clasped in his fingers flipped open, revealing a whirling propellor. He released it from his grasp, and it flew off into the night sky.

At the same time, Zoroark slammed and banged around her steel-walled prison, electricity coursing over her body. She was overwhelmed with surging pain, but she couldn`t stop. She had to get back to Zorua. She pulled back her fist, and in one last strike, she smashed through the metal wall, ripping open a gaping hole as she leapt through. She peeled open her narrow blue eyes and raised her glowing fists, slamming them into the ground. A massive wave of energy shot out, ripping through the walls of Kodai`s airship.

She burst out through the ceiling, a blast of cold air stinging her face. She let out a piercing roar, her dark body silhouetted against the light of the full moon. Suddenly, a Raikou, Entei, and Suicune rushed out through the trees, surrounding Zoroark on all three sides. Tammy and Joe peeked their heads out from behind the brush. "So those are the real Raikou, Entei, and Suicune," Joe said. "The Crown Guardians," Tammy added, mesmorized. "But they seem to think that Zoroark is the enemy!"

Suicune pushed back its legs, flying through the chilly night air and spitting down a crackling Ice Beam at Zoroark. The Illusion Pokemon quickly rolled out of its path and transformed into Suicune herself, slamming into the other Legendary Pokemon. Raikou and Entei unleashed searing blasts of lightning and fire, lighting up the night as the beams of energy smashed through Kodai`s airship. It burst into flames and exploded into a storm of fire.

Zoroark pushed away Suicune and then transformed into Raikou, staring down the tiger-like Pokemon fearlessly. Her skin tingled as she expelled a crackling bolt of electricity. Raikou let out a booming roar and unleashed its own lightning bolt. The two attacks collided and shattered into a burst of flames. Zoroark sniffed the strong scent of napalm and transformed into Entei. She soared over roofs and crashed down into a narrow alleyway dimly lit by flickering streetlights. The Crown Entei stood at the end of the street, letting out an echoing roar. Both Pokemon cloaked themselves in bright, searing flames and charged at each other, racing through the street.

The two Pokemon collided, and Zoroark was overtaken by the roaring flames. She flew back, instantly reverting to her normal form. The Pokemon crashed to her knees, her fur black stained with ash. She weakly raised her arms, and they shined with a bright light. She smashed her fists into the earth, unleashing a screaming burst of dark energy that swept the Crown Guardians right off their feet, sending them flying into the night.

Zoroark sniffed the air, catching the scent of her little Zorua through the smoke and fire. She pounced up onto the tip of a building, leaping and bounding across rooftops as if she could fly, the cold wind tearing through her matted red hair. 


	4. Chapter 4: Crown City Showdown

Chapter Four: Crown City Showdown

Ash, Dawn, Brock, Karl, Zorua, and Rowena ran through the silent city streets, skidding to a stop in front of the tall, heavy wooden door to Joe`s workshop. Rowena gripped the doorknob and shoved in hard with her shoulder. The door flew open, and the team rushed inside the workshop, where Tammy and Joe were sitting. Their eyes lit up with happiness. "Oh, where have you been?" Tammy gasped. "You had us worried sick!"

"There`s no time for that," Ash interrupted, lying the weak, shivering Celebi in his arms on the table. The others rushed to the first aid kit and tossed Ash a bandage roll. He gently wrapped the white tape around Celebi`s arm. He whispered to it in soft words, and it seemed to be listening, quivering every now and then as if Ash`s words tickled.

"You know, before you got here, we just got a glimpse of the real Crown Guardians, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune!" Tammy boomed. Karl`s eyes brightened. "Really?" he asked. Tammy nodded. "Yes, but they seem to think that Zoroark is the enemy," she replied, glancing over at Celebi with a sad gaze.

"We have to get Celebi to the Time Ripple, and fast," Dawn piped up. Rowena sat down on the futon and flipped open her pocket computer, looking at a map of Crown City dotted with tiny X`s. "It`s supposed to be near a countdown clock, but Kodai checked them all," she said.

Joe then stood up. "Well, all except one," he sighed. He pointed to a framed blueprint hanging on the wall. A picture of a countdown clock was pinned next to it. "There`s one more countdown clock, near the Pokemon Baccer Stadium. You see, it was a prototype I built to commemorate the stadium`s completion. If anywhere, that must be where the Time Ripple is." Pikachu`s ears pricked up. The sound of tinny whirring echoed in his head. He spun around and glared at a tiny, pen-shaped, camera-like object perched on the windowsill. "Pika-chu!" he growled. He discharged a burst of electricity, zapping the camera dead. It crashed to the floor.

Ash and the others turned around. "What`s that thing?" Brock asked. Rowena`s eyes narrowed. "It`s one of Kodai`s robots," she snarled. "He must`ve heard everything we said." Dawn jumped up. "Then we have to get to the stadium before he does!" she snapped. Zorua nodded. "Yeah, we have to find Meema!"

Not long after, the team charged down a nearly pitch-black tunnel illuminated by Bronzor`s glowing body. "This shortcut...should get us to the stadium...before Kodai," Brock panted as he led the way, his legs feeling ready to collapse. "Yeah, well, I never trust your 'shortcuts,'" Dawn growled. "I always trust you, Brock!" Ash contradicted, carrying Celebi in his arms. The team ran to the end of the tunnel and hurriedly climbed up the steel-rung ladder ahead, crawling out of a manhole into the chilly nighttime city above.

Ash jabbed his finger into the distance. A huge, glass-domed stadium lay ahead. "It`s the stadium!" he shouted. "Let`s go!" The roar of an engine echoed behind them as Kodai`s jeep veered around a corner. "Crap," Karl hissed. "Ash, get Celebi to the Time Ripple! Bronzor, go with them!" Bronzor nodded and took off after Ash and Zorua.

"We`ll take care of this!" Dawn shouted. She and Brock leapt foward and tossed out their Poke Balls. Mamoswine, Croagunk, and Sudowoodo popped out and struck a fighting stance.

The headlights of Kodai`s jeep momentarily blinded them as the brakes screeched to a stop. The army of Ninjask and Scizor leapt out from the backseat. "You take care of them!" Kodai snarled to Goone, nearly pushing him out of the car. He then veered off into the river below. Suprisingly, it drove perfectly fine in the stagnant water. Kodai eyed Ash rushing over the bridge above him. His heart pounding, he gripped the steering wheel and drove up a flight of stairs. Ash was right in his crosshairs.

Meanwhile, Dawn and Brock fiercely battled the legion of Bug Pokemon. "Mamoswine, Blizzard!" Dawn screamed. "Piplup, Whirlpool!" Mamoswine summoned a howling storm of diamond dust, and Piplup spit out a churning whirlpool, knocking the Ninjask army right out of the sky, but three other Ninjask rose into the sky and fired off a barrage of Shadow Balls, pummeling the two Pokemon. Brock`s Croagunk and Sudowoodo battled the pair of Scizor, slapping away their crab-like, heavy claws with glowing hands. Croagunk then dropped to the ground, rolled to the left, and spit out a gaping ball of sludge. The two Bug Pokemon screamed and collapsed.

A gust of wind howled past them as Zoroark flew across the night sky, clawing both Scizor to the ground. The Pokemon pressed her feet into the cobblestone, anger coiling in her gut. She raised her arms to the sky, and they began to glow with energy. "Get back!" Brock shouted, pushing the others into a narrow alleyway. Zoroark let out a piercing screech and slammed her arms into the earth, firing off a hot, pulsating wave of dark energy.

In an instant, it plowed away Goone and his Pokemon army. Zoroark stood shakily, thin streams of smoke billowing off her body as she rushed off into the distance.

Ash`s heart slammed hard in his chest as he stood like a literal deer in the headlights. Kodai`s jeep was roaring right at him. He ducked down and rolled across the grass, flying out of its path. He leapt to his feet and took off into the forest, but streams of bright headlight beams still cast on the ground ahead of him. "Celebi!" he shouted, tossing the little Pokemon into the air. "Hurry and fly to the Time Ripple!" Celebi took off into the sky, walls of trees whipping by.

Ash ran through a fork in the road, the thorns of bushes scraping his legs, while Kodai was fixated on Celebi. "Don`t let Celebi touch the Time Ripple!" he snarled. Shuppet sprang foward and used Thunderbolt, zapping Celebi out of the sky. The Pokemon`s body turned pink as it slammed into a tree, revealing a tiny, snickering Zorua. Kodai slammed on his brakes and leapt out of the car, his mind overflowing with rage. "You!" he snapped, pointing a threatening finger at Zorua.

Zorua bounced to his feet and blew a raspberry at Kodai. His face became flushed with fury. "Mismagius, Shadow Ball!" he hissed. The ghostly Pokemon nodded loyally and spit out a gaping ball of crackling energy at Zorua, but Bronzor leapt out just in time and took the attack painfully. The dish-like Pokemon crashed to the ground. Zorua gasped at the sight, then turned to Kodai with a snarl.

"You are a very bad man!" he growled. The little Pokemon pushed his legs back hard, propelling himself into the air. He clamped his jaws onto Kodai`s wrist, and he screamed in pain, desprately trying to shake the creature off his arm. As pain pumped through his wrist, Kodai threw down the Pokemon and jabbed out his other fist. "No dirty little Pokemon will get the best of me!" he roared. A three-fingered steel claw shot out and latched onto Zorua`s tiny body. His screams echoed into the night.

On the other hand, Ash flew across narrow, stony paths, the area lined by walls of trees and flower bushes. His chest heaving, he collapsed to his knees and threw off his backpack. He pulled it open, and Celebi`s tiny head popped out. "Bii..." it mumbled, clearly exhausted from almost being choked to death. "Come on," Ash encouraged. "Just a little farther to the Time Ripple!" He held Celebi in his hands and slowly let go, but the little fairy Pokemon dropped back into Ash`s arms. "I guess you still can`t fly," he said. "Then I`ll just take you there myself."

"Pika!" Pikachu piped up, pointing into the distance. A hovering, glistening green vortex sat in the air, next to a small rock formation and a ticking countdown clock, silhouetted by the glass of the stadium ahead. "Whoa," Ash gasped. "That must be...the Time Ripple..." He took slow steps foward, and Celebi pointed excitedly.

"Mismagius, Psychic!" Kodai`s voice echoed, sounding like the growl of a lion. Mismagius flew foward, its eyes shining an eerie white as Ash, Celebi, and Pikachu were dragged into the air. Ash flailed and struck out, but he couldn`t squirm free. Grings Kodai strolled ahead of him, approaching the glowing Time Ripple.

Just then, the sound of slamming metal echoed as Zoroark stood perched in the steel rafters of the stadium above. Her eyes glowed a ghastly pale blue in the darkness. She roared and leapt down to the grass below, her muscles tensing. She was about ready to end Kodai right there.

"Stop right there, Zoroark!" Kodai snapped. He spun around and revealed Zorua limply locked tight in the grip of his claw. Zoroark paused, her feet digging into the ground. "One step closer and this little one is no more," he snarled. Proving his point, he squeezed his fist, and Zorua let out a pained shriek as a bolt of electricity pulsed over his body. "I guess there isn`t much time left for me," he croaked. Zoroark`s breath caught in her throat. She stared listlessly at the brutal sight.

"Shuppet, clean this up," Kodai hissed. Shuppet nodded and fried Zoroark with a Thunderbolt. The wicked Pokemon then flung Zoroark into a tree with a quick blast of a Shadow Ball. Kodai crept up to the Time Ripple, his suit seeming to glow in its soft light. "Ahhh," he sighed, his anger beginning to ease. "I must say, I`ve thoroughly enjoyed playing our little game of tag." He released Zorua and pointed his arm up to the undulating vortex.

"However, I already knew it would end this way!" The claw shot out into the sparkling portal. A thin ray of purple light crept down its steel arm and onto Kodai, completely drenching his body in the mysterious glowing energy. He nearly bit his tongue as an intense, tingling pain flowed through him. He let out a scream, but his pained growls quickly turned to wicked laughter.

"Kodai, you have to stop!" Ash shouted, still suspended in midair. "All the trees and flowers will die! Don`t you care what happens to Crown City?!" Kodai smiled through his pain, his body overflowing with energy. "What do I care?" he sneered. "As long as my visionary powers grow, it`s all worth it!" The radiant Time Ripple shrank and shrank until it finally vanished, as if Kodai had devoured it.

A massive, gaping wave of black energy burst out and swallowed over the town, like the blast of a nuclear bomb. Every tree and plant surrounding Ash and Kodai became encrusted in a strange purple substance, much like ice. Kodai turned to Ash, his body still cloaked in purple light. "It`s true that 20 years ago, when I touched the Time Ripple, Crown City withered," he admitted. "But no one knows a thing about that, just as no one will know what I`ve done today! All anyone knows is that I`m doing my level best to capture the evil Pokemon, Zoroark!"

A gust of wind howled through the area, blowing away not only the light surrounding Kodai, but stripping every tree of its leaves, a whirlwind of dead brush swirling through the cold night air. "Victory is mine!" Kodai cackled, filling the dead forest with peals of wicked laughter.

As Zoroark lay nearly unconscious on the dry, dusty ground, her body shivering and weak, she peeled open her tired, teary eyes, her irises glowing a light blue. Suddenly, the same howling, tearing wind seemed to reverse, reversing everything else in its path as the forest bloomed back to life, and the Time Ripple opened once again, tearing into reality. Kodai gasped loudly, and his heart began to sink. "This can`t be an illusion!" he gaped. He tore up his sleeve, revealing a shattered Illusion Canceler latched to his wrist. He opened his eyes so wide, his pupils shrunk from shock. He remembered his earlier run-in with Zorua, sustaining a bite to his arm in the process. "When it bit me!" he snapped, gritting his teeth.

"Piplup, use BubbleBeam!" Dawn`s voice echoed. A stream of sparkling bubbles flew out of nowhere, knocking Kodai`s Mismagius out of midair. Ash, Pikachu, and Celebi dropped to the ground. Dawn, Piplup, and Brock ran up just in time. Rowena and Karl then stepped out of the trees, accompanied by Karl`s Bronzor. "Smile for the camera!" Karl chuckled, gripping a video camera in his hand. "Give it up, Kodai!" Rowena snapped. "It`s over!"

Zoroark slowly staggered to her feet, and Zorua`s eyes flashed open, his gaze filled with happiness as he crawled limply to his mother. "Meema..." he croaked. "I missed you..."

"Shuppet, quick!" Kodai shouted. "Use Shadow Ball!" Shuppet nodded and let loose a gaping ball of dark energy. Zoroark gasped and leapt out in front of her child. Pain rushed through her body as she was blown away by the full force of the attack. Even still, she jolted up and tore through the smoke, roaring at Kodai.  
Filled with rage, Kodai jabbed out his wrist. His claw shot out and clamped onto Zoroark`s throat. She let out a piercing scream, gasping for air. She was slowly suspended in the air, her body drenched in crackling electricity. She felt like she was being cooked from inside. "Meema!" Zorua shrieked, gaping in terror.

"How dare you trick me!?" Kodai roared, his face flushed. "For what you`ve done, you`re going to pay!" Zoroark screeched and flailed, but the determined Illusion Pokemon painfully lifted her arms, as if they weighed a ton, and clutched the metal arm squeezing her throat. She fired a burst of dark energy from her palms that shattered the steel claw and sent Kodai flying into a tree, leaving his once-white suit stained with black ash.

Zoroark staggered to her quivering feet and used Dark Pulse once again, blasting away his Shuppet as well. Kodai gasped and dragged himself upright, his body shaking with fear. Zoroark glared at him and let out a loud roar. An expression of pure insanity was plastered on Kodai`s face. "The Time Ripple..." he gaped, "the Time Ripple will be mine!"

He whirled around and made a mad dash for the glowing portal. He nearly fell over as Entei crashed down inches away from him, making the earth tremble. It let out a booming roar in his face. Kodai spun around, only to be faced with a roaring Raikou. Chills crawled up his arms. He was quickly losing this battle. He gazed around for an exit, but quickly realized there wasn`t one as Suicune leapt out from the trees, looking down on him from a jagged rock. His heart pounding, Kodai let out a pained whimper and took off into the grass, heading straight for the stadium ahead.

"Awesome!" Ash cheered. "The Crown Guardians!" Brock gasped. "It looks like they understand who the real enemy is now," Dawn said. Zoroark smiled in triumph, but her weakened legs began to quiver, and she collapsed to the ground, lying motionlessly.

The team gasped and rushed to the Pokemon`s aid. "Meema!" Zorua screeched, scampering up to his mother. "Meema, wake up!" He gently nudged Zoroark`s cheeks, tears streaming down his soft black fur. Ash knelt down to Zoroark and stroked her long red ponytail. "Come on, Zoroark, wake up!" He too was beginning to cry. "You have to...you finally found Zorua!"

"Pika..." Pikachu muttered sadly. Zoroark slowly peeled open her eyes for a second, and they began to shine a faint, dim blue.

Meanwhile, Kodai hurriedly dashed across a grass field, skidding to a halt in front of the glass doors of the Pokemon Baccer Stadium. His chest heaving with fear, Kodai tugged on the gold handles until he finally broke through, nearly tripping on his own feet. He scanned his eyes around and ran up the stairs. A bright point of light awaited him at the top.

Once he reached the summit, he was almost blinded by a flash of light as he crept out onto the deck of his airship. Chilly wind tore through his stained suit while the plane ripped across the sky. He gripped the cold metal railing, his palms sweating. He finally began to calm down, and his heartbeat slowed to a crawl.

A sharp pain jutted up his leg as he banged his shin on the rail. The airship quickly faded to reveal the darkened Pokemon Baccer Arena surrounding Kodai. The force of his collision was enough to send him flying over the guardrail and crashing down into the grassy battlefield below. He tumbled down to the bottom. Pain rushed through his body as he drifted off into deep sleep.

At the same time, Zoroark`s eyes sealed shut as well, shutting out a single tear. Zorua gasped and nuzzled his mother. "Please, Meema!" he whimpered. His light blue eyes began to shine, and the forest scene faded out into a bright, verdant meadow, the grass dotted with moist dewdrops. "Whoa, what`s this?" Ash asked. "This is Zorua`s illusion," Brock replied. "This must be Zorua and Zoroark`s homeland," Dawn added. "Let`s go home together," Meema, Zorua urged. "MEEMA!" His sorrowful voice echoed through the grassy plain.

Celebi nudged Ash`s shoulder, pointing out as the Time Ripple tore open behind the team. The Crown Guardians glanced up at it as well. "The Time Ripple," Ash said. "Bii!" Celebi squealed. It squirmed free of Ash`s grasp and flew straight into the glimmering vortex, vanishing from sight.

"Biii!" Celebi cheered. It raced out of the portal, drenched in green light. "Bii..." it muttered, pressing its tiny hands into Zoroark`s forehead. A wave of emerald-colored energy washed over her body. The others watched in suspense. Her motionless body began to twitch, and her eyes flashed open.

Zorua`s face lit up. The green meadow surrounding the group quickly reversed, turning back to the night forest, dimly lit by twinkling stars. Zoroark pulled herself to her feet, and Zorua leapt into her arms. The two happily nuzzled each other. "I knew you were strong, Meema!" Zorua cheered. "I knew it!"

The others were nearly brought to tears. Celebi danced around in the sky, sending down a shower of sparkling green dust. Bushes and trees everywhere burst into bloom, making the forest look like a rainbow of colors. Celebi parked itself in front of the two cuddling Pokemon, smiling and flitting its wings wildly. "I`m so glad you`re feeling better, Celebi!" Zorua chirped, wagging his bushy tail. "Thanks for everything!"

"Bii!" Celebi cheered. It hovered high into the sky, its body emitting thin, bright rays of green light. "Celebi is getting ready to time travel," Tammy interrupted, accompanied by her husband. Ash cupped his hands and called out, "We won`t forget you! Visit us again, Celebi!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added, the two watching intently as Celebi vanished into the night sky. The next morning, Kodai squirmed and writhed in his sleep, listening to the echoing, harrowing sounds of his own voice. "Stop it, Kodai!" Ash shouted. "All the trees and flowers will die!"

"What do I care?!" Kodai snarled. "As long as my visionary powers grow, it`s all worth it!" He slowly peeled open his eyes and crawled to his knees, only to be faced with the heroes, Zoroark, and an angry Officer Jenny. Kodai turned around to see the same video of himself absorbing the Time Ripple splayed on the stadium`s megatron screen. "It`s true that 20 years ago, when I touched the Time Ripple, Crown City withered, he continued. But no one knows anything about that, just as no one will know what I`ve done today!"

Officer Jenny gave him a furious gaze. "You can tell me all about it back at the precinct," she hissed. As Kodai growled and slammed his fist into the grass, Zoroark smiled and let out a triumphant roar.

"Feel free to visit again!" Joe called as he and Tammy waved to a massive cruise ship, watching Rowena, Karl, Ash, and Pikachu sail away. "Don`t be strangers!" Tammy added. "Have a safe trip!" Dawn cheered. "Take care!" Brock chimed in.

Just then, Ash ran up to the docks, carrying Pikachu on his shoulder. He glanced up at the ship, and his cheeks grew red with embarrassment. "Zorua, will ya please stop looking like me already?" he called.

Back on the boat, Rowena glanced down at the Zorua-Ash`s back, spying a fluffy tail sticking out of his pants. She rolled her eyes and grasped onto the tail. Instantly, Zorua-Ash shot up into the air and reverted back to a tiny, snickering fox. Pikachu then bounced up and transformed into Zoroark in a flash.

"Hey, Zorua!" Ash shouted. "We promise we`ll visit you in your region next! Count on it!" Zorua nodded and smiled at the trio of Trainers. "I can`t wait!" he cheered. "Thanks a lot, all of you!" Zorua turned and looked into the horizon, fixated on a huge, foggy island in the distance.

Ash and the others watched happily as the pair of Pokemon sailed into the great blue, vanishing beyond the horizon. "So, I guess this is it," Ash sighed. "I mean, for Sinnoh, our adventures here..."  
Brock shook his head. "I don`t think so," he replied. Dawn nodded and looked up to the sky, her aqua-blue eyes glimmering with tears. "Brock`s right," she added, seemingly trying to hold back sadness. She squeezed Piplup a little tighter. "This isn`t the end, it`s only the beginning."

The End...  
April 2nd, 2015. 


End file.
